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Article: Christmas-tree growers in Indiana balance risk, reward of business.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
- Article date:
- December 10, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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By David Woods, The Indianapolis Star Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Dec. 10--It takes a few moments and a few dollars to have a freshly cut Christmas tree for the family home. For growers, the time and expense are much greater.
Watts Tree Farm of Zionsville employs five full-time workers during the summer to tend 20,000 trees on a 27-acre property. After all that, a 6-foot pine tree is available for $28.
"It's a very intense outlay of money throughout the year, to be returned in a short time," said co-owner Deborah Watt. "There's some risk involved.
"But it is a rewarding time, too. People are celebrating. We get to see a ...